The Symptoms of Love
by KaeSquared
Summary: “Jeez, I remember when you caught my bouquet and how you couldn’t stop blushing. Especially when Troy was removing the garter. Back then, if someone told me that you two would be doing that again at your on wedding, I would of laughed.” ONESHOT-R&R.Thnx!


Hey! I'm back with another oneshot. I was at a wedding a few months ago and I was inspired by the tradition of the throwing of the bouquet and garter. This isn't really a song-fic (considering that the song was chosen after I finished writing), but it does feature song lyrics that are in bold and italics. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the HSM franchise in any way. Nor do I own We Could Be In Love, Lea Salonga's duet with Brad Kane.

* * *

Her eyes were irritated from whatever gunk the evil make up artist put on them. The formfitting dress that covered her body made her even more self-conscious than usual. She was surrounded by a sea of strangers and currently a stream of negative energy was being aimed towards her best friend for bailing out on her on the last minute. She wanted to be at home, in her West High tracksuit, watching Chasing Liberty with a bag of salt and vinegar chips. She did not want to be here.

"Gabriella, there you are!" Her mom's best friend and mother of the bride, Rose, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "The photographer wants a picture of the bridal party on the dance floor."

Rose's infectious smile caught on to the brunette beauty and she obediently followed her to the dance floor. The photographer immediately grabbed her by the shoulders and led her to stand by one of groomsmen. She slyly glanced up at the gorgeous man beside her and was left in awe. He was younger than the man who escorted her down the aisle, but he didn't look much older than herself. His captivating blue eyes suddenly met her eyes and she felt flustered. She could feel the heat flood on to her already blush dusted cheeks. Gabriella immediately turned away and ignored the way her heart sped up. In attempt to get her mind of the awkward encounter, she looked around to see how the photographer arranged them.

The bride and groom sat center stage with the maid-of-honor and best man behind them. Then the bridal party was divided in half so that two couples stood on both sides of them with their bodies turned slightly towards the center. The photographer's assistant came down the line to pass out bouquets and to make sure the bridal party looked picture perfect.

"Oh!" The photographer yelled out of nowhere, making Gabriella jump slightly. She heard a slight chuckle from behind her but ignored it. "I have a great idea. Gentlemen, will you please place the hand facing towards the camera on the hip of the women in front of you. Ladies, hold your flowers just like you did walking down the aisle."

The blue-eyed man beside her followed the photographer's orders and she felt his warm hand on her hip. "I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable," he whispered huskily in her ear.

She suddenly felt extremely grateful that she was facing the camera as another wave of heat rose to her cheeks. "I-it's fine," she managed to get out through her smile.

The photographer began firing away on his camera and after 10 different shots he rearranged the bridal party. Much to Gabriella's disappointment, that was the last time she stood by the mystery man. There was no denying that he was practically the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. Her mind was still reeling as to why she hadn't noticed him before.

The second the photographer was done, she was whisked away by her mother.

"Gabriella, will you please walk with your shoulders back." her mother scolded.

"Sorry, mom." she obliged and eased out the creases of the silky dress as she rolled her shoulders back.

"Your Auntie Rose's parents are here and they want to see you."

She plastered a smile onto her face as she approached the elderly couple. Gabriella bent down and greeted them with a kiss on their cheeks.

"Oh my, my, my!" Lola, which is the Filipino word for 'grandmother', exclaimed as she looked at the young woman in front of her. "Ay, dad! Look how much Gabi's grown!"

Lolo, which is Filipino for 'grandfather', looked over at her and smiled. "Yes, yes. She's all grown up now."

The older woman pulled Gabriella into the chair beside her while Ms. Montez chatted with Lolo. "How old are you now, Gabi?"

"I just turned 18 this month." Lola and Lolo were Gabriella's extended family. They treated her just like they treated all of their grandchildren, which only consisted of Jennifer (the bride) and her older brother Jay.

"18?" She looked shocked. "I feel so old."

Gabriella shook her head in disagreement and placed a gentle hand on the elder woman's arm. "Lola, you're not old."

"Oh but I am. I remember when your mom brought you down to Florida to visit us when you were five. Do you remember that big house we had on the lake?"

Despite the fact that she hardly remembered, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. The house was so pretty!"

The older woman smiled, obviously pleased. "So, tell me how you've been."

"I've been good. High school keeps me busy."

"High school is the best time of your life, enjoy it while you still can."

A faint smile graced Gabriella's face as she replied, "I'll try my best."

"Do you have a boyfriend now?"

Her brunette eyes widened at the sudden shift in the conversation. "No, I don't have a boyfriend." She politely excused herself to get a drink, wanting to avoid the subject of her love life or in her case, lack of one.

She started walking towards the refreshments table when Tyler, a family friend's two-year-old, came stumbling in front of her. She bent down the best she could in her dress and returned him to a standing position. Tyler smiled as he looked up at her, obliviously remembering their fun babysitting adventures.

"Stay!" he commanded.

She bit back a laugh and obeyed, not daring to move an inch. Out of nowhere, the toddler whipped out a toy racecar. She didn't even bother holding her laughter back this time as she already had a faint idea of what he wanted to do. Gabriella held out her arm slightly so he could start at her elbow and make his way across her bare shoulders, using her as a racetrack. Tyler was enjoying himself and he was just too cute to resist. One thing's for sure, he was going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up.

The brunette suddenly felt like she was being watched. Curiosity filled her as she glanced up to see who's attention we caught. Blue met brown as she saw the gorgeous groomsman from earlier sitting two feet away from her.

"Just ask her to dance." the older man beside him said in a casual tone.

His beautiful eyes widened and his cheeks flushed red. "Granddad!" He tore his eyes away from the brunette as he turned to glare into the same shade of blue eyes.

The man was oblivious to fact that Gabriella could hear him. Either that, or he just didn't care that she was in hearing distance from them. "You couldn't stop looking at her. Be a man and ask her to dance."

Her cheeks felt hot as her mind registered that they were talking about her. She turned her attention back to Tyler, who was innocently playing with his racecar. She picked him up and threw him up in the air a couple of times, he loved when people did that to him. He laughed as she caught him each time. She set him down on the floor and he scurried away to one of his little friends. Gabriella smiled at his retreating figure and smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress.

"Look, son, here's your chance."

Her heart was thumping furiously in her chest as that statement reached her ears. She could barely hear Lea Salonga's We Could Be In Love playing in the background. She took two steps towards the refreshments table, desperate for some of the punch to soothe her erratic heartbeat. The punch was sweet, but was tainted by the taste of her lipstick.

_**Be still my heart  
Lately its mind is on it's own  
It would go far and wide  
Just to be near you**_

"Uhmm..Hi," a smooth, masculine voice said from behind.

She turned around and felt like she was about to faint. "H-h-hi." Heat rose to her cheeks and she desperately wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

"I'm Troy." He smiled charmingly and stuck his handout towards her.

"Gabriella," she shakily replied and reached out for his hand. Just like in those cheesy teen flicks, the pair felt a spark as they shook hands. She pulled away briefly and looked down at her feet.

"So Gabriella, would you like to dance?"

Her head snapped up at his words. She couldn't believe it, yet she could see the sincerity in her eyes. _"This has to be a dream. I'm so plain Jane and he's the modern day Adonis," _she thought to herself. Dream or not, he was gorgeous and she'd have to be stupid to turn him down. Gabriella felt her throat close up and she managed to simply nod. Troy led her to the center of the dance floor and placed a hand on her hip and took her right hand in his.

"I didn't know that Jennifer had such a beautiful, younger sister." He stated as we both glided over the dance floor.

Gabriella blushed. "She doesn't. We're not even related."

It was now his turn to blush. "Oh, I just assumed because you two look so much alike."

"It's alright, we get that a lot. Especially when we were younger, people use to think we were twins."

"I can see why." He grinned down at the beauty in his arms and briefly let go of her petite waist to twirl her.

She couldn't help but giggle as she was drawn back into his embrace. Dancing with Troy felt so natural. Light conversation followed and the song ended all to quickly. Before they pulled away from each other, an older couple beside them managed to talk them into staying to learn how to salsa. Troy awkwardly shook his hips to the salsa music while he complimented Gabriella on the way she moved her hips. Gabriella laughed and continued to follow the steps of the salsa number. Much to the pair's disappointment, the song abruptly ended and they focused their attention on the DJ booth.

"Check one, two, three," the MC said into a microphone. "Okay, everyone it's almost time for the bride and groom to do ceremonial tossing of the bouquet and garter. Will everyone please clear the dance floor first?"

"I'm this way," Gabriella said, pointing her finger to the left.

"And I'm this way," Troy replied, pointing in the opposite direction. "Thanks for the dance, we should definitely do it again." He swiftly placed a soft kiss on her cheek before turning on his heel and fleeing to his table.

Gabriella couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she made her way to her mother.

"Having a good timed?" her mother asked knowingly.

The younger of the two bit on her lip as she turned her attention to the dance floor. She watched as Matt, who Gabriella found out was Troy's brother, partially disappeared beneath Jennifer's Cinderella styled gown in order to remove the garter from Jennifer's leg. The room seemed to be filled with laughter as they watched the ever ticklish Jennifer squirm in her seat. Matt had finally made it to Jennifer's ankle and used his hands to stretch the garter over her ankle and dress shoe. He waved it triumphantly in the air and stood up to kiss his wife. The crowd broke into applause as the couple stood up and Jennifer received a small bouquet.

"Alright, people settle down," the MC joked into the microphone. "Okay, so Mr. and Mrs. Matt Bolton have requested the presence of all our single ladies and men." He let Beyonce's Single Ladies play as various groups of people stood up and made their way to the dance floor.

Gabriella's eyes widened in shock as her mother stood up and grasped her arm firmly. "Oh no Mami!" she exclaimed. "I'm not going up there!"

"Gabriella Ann Montez," she said sternly, "stand up and come with your mother. NOW!"

She sighed and trudged to the dance floor with her mother. She stood on the very edge on the sea of single women. She thought this was stupid. How were a bouquet of flowers going to decide who was going to get married to next? She glanced to the left where the single men were gathered a few feet away. She noticed that Troy stood with a couple of guys, laughing about something.

Gabriella couldn't help but smile as she thought back to their conversation on the dance floor. She had learned that he graduated from East High the year she was just starting, making him three years older. He currently was attending the University of California, Berkeley on a basketball scholarship, but was actually working towards his business degree. His favorite color was red, the same color of the dress she currently wore. And then there's the detail that made her feel a bit hopeful, he was single.

He turned his head and caught her eye. Troy sent her wink before turning back to his friends. She felt like fainting, that is until she reflexively held her hands in front of her face as something came flying towards her. Gabriella gaped at the bouquet in her hand as she was forcefully encouraged to make her way towards Jennifer.

"Gabi!" Jennifer exclaimed as she hugged the taller brunette. "You caught it!"

"Unfortunately," she muttered under her breath.

The woman she considered as her older sister led her to the chair she sat in moments before. "So Gabi," Jennifer pressed as she aimlessly played with Gabriella's curls, "are you having fun?"

"Yeah, it's great!" Gabriella replied honestly as her mind wandered back to a particular pair of blue eyes. "I can't believe you're married!"

"I know! And I can't believe you're going to college next year!"

"Me neither." Gabriella smirked.

"Jen," Matt called from behind the two women, "you'll never guess who caught the garter."

The two women felt their jaw drop as Troy stepped from behind his older brother.

"Troy!" Jennifer exclaimed enthusiastically as she hugged her brother-in-law. She gestured towards the blushing brunette in the red dress. "This is -"

"Gabriella." Troy finished for her. "We met earlier." He winked at Gabriella, who was thankful to be already sitting.

Jennifer smiled approvingly and took the bouquet from Gabriella's hand. She then replaced it with the garter. "Slip this on. I'll help you raise your long dress."

The brunette nervously obeyed. As she pushed the hem of her dress a couple of inches above her knees. Jennifer held Gabriella's dress in place as she slipped the garter up her leg, an inch above her knee.

Troy stood beside his big brother as he spoke into the microphone. "Okay, so this is Troy, my baby brother, and Gabriella, Jennifer's not-related-but-practically-baby-sister. Funny how things work out. Troy, do you know what you've got to do?"

Troy nervously scratched the back of his neck as he spoke into the microphone. "Not really."

"Well, you've got to remove the garter from around Gabi's leg."

"That's easy."

Matt smirked. "But here's the catch, you can't use your hands and all Gabi has to do is sit there, looking pretty."

If Troy was shocked, he hid it well. Gabriella, on the other hand, allowed her mouth to drop. She mentally cursed her mother for ever dragging her up there.

"I'm game." Troy stated with a sly smile. The audience laughed as Troy made his way towards the gorgeous brunette. "Babe, you might wanna close you're mouth."

Gabriella closed her mouth and swallowed hard. The pounding of her heart was the only thing that she could hear. Her mind barely registered that he was kneeling before her. She felt his teeth graze her bare leg and she nearly screamed. Gabriella had never been one to be able to sit still. Not to mention, she was extremely ticklish. Her face felt flushed as she felt a plethora of eyes on her.

It wasn't exactly a terrible situation. Things could have been much worse. For instance, it could have been a desperate old guy who had caught the garter. But still, she wasn't exactly comfortable with the current situation. It was more of the fact that he was this gorgeous guy that made her weak in the knees and here he was; dragging the elastic material down her leg. Thank goodness that she remembered to shave.

Troy had finally made it to Gabriella's ankle and used his hands to stretch the garter over her ankle and dress shoe. Just as his brother did, he held the garter triumphantly in the air and the crowd laughed. If only for a second, he dropped a kiss on Gabriella's cheek. A camera flashed in front of them and then Jennifer helped Gabriella to her feet. Meanwhile, Troy stretched the garter and flung it at his big brother. The four posed for photos and then Gabriella was immediately whisked away by her mother.

After escaping from some distant relatives, Gabriella stepped out of the reception hall and discovered a small playground with a swing set. She smiled like a child on Christmas and made her way to the swing set. She sat down, not caring if her dress got dirty, and began pumping her legs. This was her favorite thing to do when she was younger. Mere minutes passed before she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder, expecting to see her mother frowning at her. Instead, she was surprised to see Troy with a set of keys in his hands.

A smile crept onto his face as he lifted his head to see the lovely brunette. "Hey," he greeted softly as he approached her, "what are you doing out here?"

She smiled back and slowed down her swinging. "Let's just say that there were too many relatives asking too many questions."

Troy chuckled as he wrapped his hands around the metal chains of the swing so that all movement stopped. "Mind if I push?" he asked as she looked up at him questioningly.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip and shook her head 'no' before turning her head straight ahead. She felt butterflies in her stomach and she knew it wasn't because she was getting higher into the sky, but rather the feeling of his hands on her lower back. Inwardly, she laughed a herself for feeling like a little school girl with a crush on the guy on the basketball team. "So, how about you? What brings you out here?"

"I was getting ready to leave."

She whipped around at his words and slipped out of the swing's seat. She let out a yelp and shut her eyes, bracing herself for the pain.

"Wow. " Troy breathed as he looked down at the girl in his arms, who was slowly opening her eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone fall that gracefully." His tone was serious, but his smile told her otherwise.

Gabriella turned red from embarrassment as realization set in that Troy had caught her. "Years of practice," she half-joked, seeing as she was a bit of a klutz. "Thanks for catching me, but can you set me down?"

"Oh! Uhmm….Yeah. Right." He carefully set her on her feet and nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"So," Gabriella began in attempts to break the awkward silence, "you're leaving now?"

"Yeah, I've got a long drive ahead of me."

"I see. Well, I guess this is goodbye and drive safe," she said with a slight wave of a hand. "Thanks, again, for catching me, " she added as she began to walk away from the awkward situation.

"You said that you're going to Stanford, right?"

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back around to face him. "Uh-huh," she replied, not sure as to what he was getting at.

"Since I go to Berkley, maybe I can show you around a bit when you move."

Troy's confident demeanor contrasted with the utter shock and joy she felt at he moment. "I'd like that."

"Awesome!" he said enthusiastically as he made his way towards her and handed her his phone.

Gabriella received the phone with shaky hands and quickly typed in her name and number. "I'd give you my phone, but it's not with me right now," she said as she handed him his phone. "This dress doesn't leave much room for a pocket."

He laughed at her lame attempt at a joke and slid his phone into his pocket. "It's alright. I'll give you a call, so that you have my number."

"Sounds good," she said as she smiled at him.

"Well, I should probably get going now," he said, but made no effort to move.

"Right. So, it was nice meeting you." There wasn't a protocol for how she was suppose to react to him. Should she hug him, because he wasn't exactly a stranger? Yet, they weren't exactly friends, so maybe a handshake? She chose the latter and stuck out her hand for him to shake.

Troy glanced down at her extended hand and back up into her brown eyes. "C'mon Gabriella, I think we're on a bit of a friendlier terms than a handshake," he said with a smirk.

Gabriella thought back to the incident of the garter and turned a bright red, although the dark night help concealed it. "I guess we are," she said more to herself than to him.

With that agreement said, Troy carefully pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Gabriella hesitantly responded as she slowly wrapped her arms around his midsection and breathed in his scent. The two enjoyed being in the other's arms so they weren't quick to pull away, but the hug had to end eventually.

"It was really nice meeting you," Troy said as he slowly pulled back. His face was in close proximity to hers and he could of easily kissed her right then and there.

_**Even the stars  
Shine a bit bright I've noticed  
When you're close to me  
**__**Still it remains a mystery**_

"You too, Troy." Her hands dropped to her side, suddenly missing the warmth of his body. "Have a safe trip," she said as she mustered enough courage to kiss him on his cheek. As she did so, he swiftly kissed her cheek in return.

He grinned and she laughed a bit as she pulled away. "Thanks and I'll talk to you soon," he promised as he began walking backwards towards the parking lot.

Gabriella watched his retreating figure as he nearly tripped over the curb and laughed at the sight. She waved back as he waved at her before turning away from her. She watched as he made his way to a beat up white pick-up truck. He honked his horn as he drove past her. It was only then that she raised a hand to where he had kissed her.

"Bye Troy."

* * *

Her eyes were tired from the long day she had. The formfitting dress that covered her body didn't compensate for the chilly, salty sea air. She was surrounded by a small sea of strangers and currently a stream of negative energy was being aimed towards her boyfriend for abandoning her. She kind of wanted to be at her boyfriend's apartment , in one of his t-shirts, watching one of those action/comedy movies he loves so much with a bag of salt and vinegar chips. Although, she didn't mind being here.

"Okay, " the DJ said into the microphone, "we're going to slow things down now. Here's a special request from a Mr. Troy Bolton to a Ms. Gabriella Montez."

Just as Lea Salonga's We Could Be In Love flowed through the speakers, she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist. "Hey," the owner whispered into her ear before placing a light kiss behind it.

Gabriella turned around to stare into the blue eyes that she fell in love with almost five years ago. She then leaned up, her shoes digging into the sand beneath her feet, and placed a kiss upon his lips.

_**Anyone who seen us  
Knows what's going on between us  
It doesn't take a genius  
To read between the lines  
And it's not just wishful thinking  
Or only me who's dreaming  
I know what these are symptoms of  
We could be in love**_

He pulled away with a grin and dropped his hands from her waist. He laced one of their hands together, the other brushing a stray hair from her face. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course," she said with a sly smile.

Troy led her to the middle of the wooden dance floor placed on top on the soft sand and locked his hands together behind her back. She entwined her hands behind his neck and she gazed into his eyes, wondering how she ever got this lucky.

"You know that I love you, right?"

She pulled away slightly so that she could see his face. "What kind of question is that?" she asked seriously, a crease forming on her forehead.

He chuckled and kissed her furrowed forehead. "Just making sure. Because I do love you, a lot."

She smiled contently and placed her head in the crook of his neck. "And I love you too," she whispered, kissing him right above his tie and collar.

_**I ask myself why  
I sleep like a baby through the night  
Maybe it helps to know  
you'll be there tomorrow**_

Five years have passed since they first met and neither one could be any happier. True to his word, Troy kept in touch and the two had talked constantly. It had been him that volunteered and insisted to pick her up from the airport. It had been him that she had stayed with when she entered the Freshmen's Honor Program, much to her mother's dismay. It had been him that she was suddenly dating after just a week of living under the same roof, the sexual tension proving too much. He was also the one who drove all night so that she wouldn't miss her high school graduation, listening to her valedictorian speech the whole way. When Stanford's elite program had finished, the two were faced with the challenges of a long distant relationship.

Somehow, they made it through every obstacle life had thrown at them. It helped that after he got his business degree, he moved closer to her so that the commute was 15 minutes instead of 50. Troy and Gabriella just worked.

Gabriella couldn't help but notice the tension in Troy's shoulders as they swayed back and forth to the soft music. She noticed that he was nervous earlier in the day, but she thought it was due to his pending best man's speech.

"Babe, are you okay?" she asked as she pulled away from him again, moving her hands to his shoulders and giving them a light squeeze. "You seem tense."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered nonchalantly with an automatic smile. "Do you know why I chose this song?" He watched as a frown formed on her face as she shook her head. He chuckled lowly at her cuteness and kissed her frowning lips briefly. "It was the song that played during out first dance."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of their second encounter. "Honestly, I was too distracted by the heart beating frantically in my chest to notice what song we were dancing to."

"Really? You didn't seem nervous."

"Then I hid it well because I was a nervous wreck for the first half of our conversation."

He smiled down at her again, kissing her briefly on the lips. "I was nervous too," he confessed. "What guy wouldn't be with a beautiful girl in his arms?"

A bright crimson color graced her cheeks at his compliment. After all these years, he still knew what to say to make her blush like some lovesick teenager in high school.

"So, I was thinking," he began.

"Thinking's good," she said with a smirk.

He sent her a playful glare and continued, "and I was wondering what you would say if I asked you to move in with me."

She pondered his indirect question if only for a second. "I think that if you asked, I would say yes because I'm over at your apartment every free moment I have and my roommate is getting on my nerves." She noticed as he somewhat relaxed at her words.

Troy looked at her with an incredulous look. "You've been living with Sharpay for the past three years and she's only getting on your nerves now?"

"God knows that I love that girl, but there is a limit to how much pink I want in my life. Besides, she started this thing were she showers at like midnight and then immediately blow dries her hair after," she added with a slight pout that caused him to laugh.

"Poor Gabi," he mocked causing her to glare at him. "In that case, babe, will you move in with me?"

"Of course!" she said as she forgot that she was mad and returned her head onto his shoulder.

Their song ended all too soon and they quickly excited the dance floor as the Electric Slide began to blare through the speakers. Troy and Gabriella made their way over to their friends situated in one of the corners of the canopy. Their group of friends consisted of eight people; Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Jason and Kelsi. The guys were the backbone, so to speak, to how the group was formed, seeing as all of them met on the basketball team. Taylor and Gabriella had met at the Stanford library and quickly bonded over their aspirations of becoming lawyers. Kelsi and Jason had met their freshman year of college and have been on and off since. Sharpay and Kelsi were part of the theatre program at Berkley. Their little group had all formed over the years and they were very close. Gabriella was the baby in the group and they never let her forget it.

"So Taylor, how does it feel to be Mrs. Chad Danforth?" Troy asked as he pulled Gabriella into his lap as they joined their table of friends.

"Danforth-McKessie." The bride corrected with a broad grin. "And it feels great!"

"I can't believe you two are married," Gabriella began. "It feels like just yesterday that I introduced you guys and you too immediately started bickering."

"It's a wonder how you ever put up with him, Tay." Sharpay said from her seat besides Zeke.

"Speaking of which Shar, Gabi's moving out!" Troy happily announced as he wrapped his arms tighter around his girlfriend.

"What?" Sharpay screeched.

"I was going to tell you later, but I guess the cat's out of the bag. Troy asked me to move in with him."

"Do you want to take a walk along the shore?" Troy whispered into Gabriella's ear.

"I'd love to," she whispered back. "See you guys in a bit, we'll be back." Gabriella announced as she and Troy stood up, completely ignoring the protesting blonde who was in the middle of a rant of why Gabriella shouldn't move out.

Mere minutes later, they were walking a few feet away from the crashing waves. Troy had taken off his jacket and draped it over his girlfriend's thin shoulders as he noticed her shiver. Gabriella was currently tucked into his side, her heels hanging from her hand. The wedding reception that took place on the beach was long forgotten with each step they took.

_**Don't open my eyes Ohhh  
I'll wake from the spell I'm under  
Makes me wonder how  
Tell me how I could live without you now**_

"I think that this is a good place to stop," Troy answered while plopping down on the sand, the sound of the party no longer reaching their ears. "Did I ever tell you about the first time I saw you?" He asked as he looked up at her. When she shook her head no, he continued. "The first time I saw you, wasn't when we took a picture together with Matt and Jen's bridal party. It was when you walked down the isle at the wedding. I could tell that you were nervous because for the first half of the isle, you were biting down on your bottom lip. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you were. I was instantly drawn to you."

"When I first saw you, my heart skipped about 10 beats." Gabriella admitted.

He chuckled and said, "If your heart skipped 10 beats, then mine must of skipped a thousand because you took my breath away. "

_**And what about the laughter  
The happy ever after  
Like voices of sweet angels  
Calling out our names  
And it's not just wishful thinking  
Or only me who's dreaming  
I know what these are symptoms of  
We could be in love **_

"You are crazy if you think that I'm going to sit on the sand in this dress," she said when she felt him tug on her hand. She expected him to pull her down and onto her lap. What he did next, left her speechless.

"Okay, then I'll just have to do it the old fashion way," he said with a smirk as he got up, brushing off the sand that clung to his dress pants. He then took her left hand in both of his hands and knelt down on one knee. "The first time I saw you, I knew that you would be the end of me. I didn't even know your name, but I could see it. You in a sleek white dress and me at the end of the isle. It sounds crazy, I know. But I've never been more sure of anything in my life." He paused and reached into his pocket to retrieve a simple diamond ring. He held her left hand in his and held the ring up for her to see. "Now, we've been together for five years and they've honestly been the best years of my life. And I hope that I make you twice as happy as you make me. I know that we've never talked about this, but hopefully you've at least thought about it once. Will you marry me?" he finished simply.

_**All my life  
I have dreamed of this  
But I could not see your face **_

Tears were flowing down her face and she made no effort to stop them. From the moment he knelt on the ground, she already knew what her answer was. "Yes."

He grinned as he slipped the gold band onto her ring finger and stood up. He swooped down to place a earth shattering kiss on to her lips. When air began to be necessary, they pulled away. "We're getting married," he stated between gasping breaths.

She nodded, unable to talk.

"We're getting married!" he exclaimed with a grin as he picked her up and spun her around, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter.

* * *

Her eyes seemed to have a new spark to them. The strapless sweetheart beaded lace ball gown fits the contours of her body before flaring out in a full skirt from her waist. For once, she feels beautiful and confident. A sea of family and friends awaited her in the adjacent room. Happiness radiates from every inch of her skin. There was nowhere she would rather be than right here.

_**Don't ask why two such distant stars  
Can fall right into place **_

"Look Rochelle! We've found Auntie Gabi!"

Gabriella whips her head around at the sound of her _husband_'s voice. She smiles at the sight before her. Troy stands with Matthew and Jennifer's one-year-old daughter in his arms. Rochelle was playing with Troy's crimson tie, an amused grin on her face.

"You see that Rochelle? That's your Auntie Gabi's thinking face. What are you thinking about, wife?"

_Wife_, she thought. It was such a foreign word to her, but she loved the sound of it. Especially the way it sounded coming from him. "I was just thinking about how you'd make such a great dad one day."

"And you'd make an amazing mom," he says as he spun around, causing Rochelle to giggle. "Hmmm...you think we can make 'one day' nine months from tonight?"

Gabriella's cheeks turn the color of the red roses entwined into her curly up-do. "Troy!" she whines as she takes Rochelle from his arms.

He raises an eyebrow and cocks his head to the left. "What? She can't understand us, can she?"

"No, but still!"

Troy rolls his eyes and takes two strides towards his wife. "You're so weird," he mutters as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

She sticks her tongue out childishly at him and perches Rochelle on her hip. "C'mon Ro-Ro, let's go somewhere we're appreciated." As she walks away, she can hear Troy chuckling as his step matches her.

"I finally spy our blushing bride," Kelsi, resident MC/DJ of the evening, says into a microphone. "Oh and here comes the groom right behind her."

Jennifer appears at Gabriella's side out of nowhere. "There you are, baby!"

"Yup, here I am." Gabriella jokes, as she hands a fussing Rochelle back to her mom.

Jennifer laughs. "I handed her to Matt, so I could use the restroom, and when I get back my baby disappeared."

"Sorry about that Jen," Troy says as he comes from behind and wraps his arms around his wife's waist. "Rochelle went with me on a special mission to find my beautiful wife."

_**Anyone who seen us  
Knows what's going on between us  
**__**It doesn't take a genius  
To read between the lines  
And it's not just wishful thinking  
Or only me who's dreaming  
I know what these are symptoms of  
We could be in love**_

"It feels so surreal being here." Jennifer says as she stares at the newlyweds.

"Tell me about it." Gabriella mutters as she leans against Troy's chest and places her hands over his.

"Jeez, I remember when you caught my bouquet and how you couldn't stop blushing. Especially when Troy was removing the garter. Back then, if someone told me that you two would be doing that again at your on wedding, I would of laughed."

"Speaking of which, Mrs. Bolton, there was a reason Rochelle and I went to get you." Troy says as he lets go off of her waist and walks around to face her, being careful not to step on the hem of her gown. "We're kinda needed on the dance floor."

"It's time for that already?"

Troy grins as he grabs her hand and begins to tug Gabriella to the awaiting chair in the middle of the dance floor.

Jennifer laughs at the couple and calls out, "Keep it G-rated!"

"I'm not making any promises!" Troy calls back.

Gabriella laughs as Troy pulls her onto the clearing dance floor. The retreating dancers smile widely at the newlyweds as they pass.

"For those of you that don't know," Kelsi begins to tell the crowd as the newlyweds reach the lone chair. "Troy and Gabi met at Troy's older brother's wedding to Gabi's family friend. Coincidently, Troy caught the garter and Gabi caught the bouquet. Today, they get to relive that moment all over again, but under different circumstances."

Troy all, but shoves a giggling Gabriella onto the snow colored seat. The pounding of her heart drowns out the noise of the crowd as she watches him kneel before her, a smirk gracing his thin lips. He gingerly lifts the beaded hem of the gown and disappears partially underneath. She feels him blow a hot breath against her bare leg and holds back a scream. She felt his teeth graze her thigh before biting down on the garter. Six and a half years have passed since this happened laugh, and not much has changed. Gabriella was just as ticklish as before, if not more.

"Stop moving!" Troy mumbles against her leg.

Gabriella scrunches up her face and stares down at her husband. "Swap mooing?"

His head pops out from beneath her gown. "I said: stop moving. I don't remember you squirming this much last time I did this." He carefully lifts the hem of her d gown and pops back underneath.

The room erupts into laugher, reminding Gabriella of their audience. She does her best to stay still as he drags the elastic down the rest of her leg. He gets to her ankle and uses his hands to stretch the band over her white stiletto. He pushes off the dance floor and pulls his wife to her feet and kisses her, all while triumphantly waving the red garter in the air. Their audience laughs and claps for the couple.

"The dance floor is now open to all the single ladies and gentlemen for the throwing of the bouquet and garter," Kelsi says into the microphone. "Maybe one of you will be as lucky as Troy and Gabriella."

Troy kisses her once more on the lips before they part to separate sides of the dance floor. Gabriella instantly receives a small bouquet and it surrounded by her closest female friends.

"Gabs, try throwing it to the left." Sharpay demands.

Kelsi shoves her playfully and rolls her eyes, "Shar, you know that it doesn't work that way."

Gabriella laughs and glances to her left where the single men were gathered a few feet away. Troy stands near the front of the group, laughing with a couple of the guys.

Gabriella couldn't help but smile as she thinks back to the night they met. She remembers how the sight of him left her in awe. Then how she felt so flustered when he spoke to her. And of course, how easily she flushed at his words. Back then, they danced to Lea Salonga's We Could Be In Love, the whole time not knowing how well it fit them.

_**Oh, it doesn't take a genius  
To know what these are symptoms of  
We could be  
We could be, we could be in love**_

He turns his head and catches her eye. Troy sends her wink before taking a few steps away from the gathered men.

She mimics his movement, stepping away from the anxious women behind her. Their eyes never leaving one another as they throw the object in their hands back. A higher power seems to pull them together, the distance obviously proving to be too much. They embrace in an innocent hug and watch as their single friends and relatives fight for either the crimson garter or rose bouquet.

_**Could be in  
**__**We could be in love**_

Earlier in the evening they had danced to their song, We Could Be In Love by Lea Salonga. But unlike the song suggests, there was no doubt to what they were feeling. They knew that the other could never live without the other or their sweet laugher. They knew that they would get their happily ever after in the end. They knew that it's not just wishful thinking or that it's not just the other dreaming. They knew that these were the symptoms of being in love.

* * *

Originally for their song, I chose All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo, but then I got to the final scene with the garter and realized that I wanted their song to have a stronger connection to them. So I looked through my music and found We Could Be In Love by Lea Salonga and Brad Kane and knew that this was it. The song is so beautiful and matches perfectly with them that I didn't even really have to edit what I wrote, except inserting lyrics here and there. I definitely recommend that you go listen to this song on YouTube.

Oh and I'm working on a multi-chapter story right now, but I want to have at least half of it written before I post it. Right now I've written four chapters (out of a planned 15 or so). So, I'm aiming for November. It's based off Willow by Julia Hoban, although I had a similar idea long before I even read it. Here's a summary:

Gabriella's not the same girl she was when she meets Troy at the ski-lodge. That girl was murdered in the car crash that killed her mother. When Troy comes back into her life, it hurts more than anything she could ever inflict on herself. He's a reminder of the blinding light and the shattering of glass; all of it. Troy, who is convinced that she's still the same girl he met on New Years Eve, refuses to give up on her when he discovers her secret. For the first time in a long time, she begins to feel something more than the pain and it scares her.

Thank you for reading and please review!  
I'd love to know what you thought of this.

Lots of Love,  
Kae xoxo


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